jerome



Nov. 18, 1952 $1. CLAIR LE R. JEROME 2,618,155

IGNITION DISTRIBUTOR DRIVE FOR ATTACHMENT TO INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINECAMSHAFTS Filed Nov. 30, 1951 Inuantmr 1 ET. ELPIIR L. JERUME'.

Patented Nov. 18, 1952 IGNITION DISTRIBUTOR DRIVE FOR AT- TACHMENT TOINTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE CAMSHAFTS St. Clair Le Roy Jerome, Ancaster,Ontario, Canada Application November 30, 1951, Serial No. 259,027

1 Claim.

My invention relates to an ignition distributor drive for attachment tointernal combustion engine cam shafts and the object of the invention isto provide a drive gear connection assembly for fitment between the endof the horizontal cam shaft of an engine and the vertical drive shaft of.a vertically positioned ignition distributor.

The invention is particularly designed for use upon the engines ofcertain types of tractors wherein the distributor drive housing ishorizontally arranged and attached to the end of the cam shaft andwherein it has been found that such arrangement is not altogethersatisfactory as moisture is apt to seep into the distributor due to itshorizontal position, and also that it is diflicult to open thedistributor for adjustment and cleaning due to its location.

The desired object of my invention is to provide a driving connectionfitment which may be secured to the engine block and coupled to the endof the cam shaft and upon which the distributor is mounted in a verticalposition.

With the foregoing and other objects in view as shall appear, myinvention consists of an ignition distributor drive for attachement tointernal combustion engine cam shafts, constructed and arranged all ashereinafter more particularly described and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the drive housing.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view taken through the line 2-2,Fig. 1, and showing the distributor in dotted lines carried thereon, and

Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken through the line 33,Fig. 2.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in thedifferent views of the drawing.

The driving connection is contained within a housing which comprises ahorizontal cylindrical portion 2 open at one end 3 and closed at theother end 4. A second housing portion 5 is positioned vertically and isintegrally attached to the housing portion 2 and opens thereinto througha communicating orifice 6 located in the vicinity of the closed end 4 ofthe housing portion 2.

The housing portion 5 is formed with a closed lower end I and an openupper end 8 formed with a flange 9 upon which the distributor assemblyis supported. A distributor shaft It extends downwardly through the boreof the housing portion 5 and ha its lower end contained within a footbearing II.

The open end of the housing portion 2 contains a bearing sleeve I2 whichextends thereinto to the vicinity of the orifice 6, such sleevecontaining a bearing bushing l3 extending along its length and withinwhich a drive shaft I4 is journalled. The drive shaft 14 carries acoupling tongue [5 upon its outer end whereby the shaft is connected tothe cam shaft of the engine. A helical gear 16 is secured to the innerend of the shaft and meshes with a helical gear l1 secured upon thedistributor shaft [8, the gears meshing through the communicatingorifice 6. The gears run in oil and for filling purposes an oil plug itis located in the end 4 of the housing portion 2.

The open end 3 of the housing portion 2 is formed with a flange [9whereby the drive connection is secured to the engine block with theouter end of the shaft l4 coupled to the end of the cam shaft.

In fitting the drive connection in place it is only necessary to removethe standard horizontally positioned distributor assembly, and to attachmy drive connection to the end of the engine block in place of thedistributor assembly, with the end of the shaft M coupled to the end ofthe cam shaft. The distributor assembly is then positioned upon the topof the flange 9 of the housing portion 5 with the gears I6 and l lintermeshing, the drive then being ready for operation.

What I claim as my invention is:

A gear drive connection for fitment between the end. of a horizontal camshaft of an internal combustion engine and the vertically positioneddrive shaft of an ignition distributor, and comprising a horizontalcylindrical gear housing portion open at one end, a second gear housingportion open at its top and positioned vertically and integrallyattached to and opening into the first gear housing portion in thevicinity of the closed end of such portion, the upper end of the secondgear housing portion constituting a support for an ignition distributor,a shaft bearing sleeve contained within the open end of the first gearhousing portion and extending to the vicinity of the opening into thesecond gear housing portion, a. shaft for connection to the cam shaft ofthe engine ahd contained within the bearing sleeve, a helical gear wheelsecured upon the inner end of the shaft and positioned adjacent to theopening into the second gear housing portion, a distributor drive shaftcontained within the second gear housing portion and supported within abearing in the bottom of such portion, and a helical gear secured uponthe distributor drive shaft and meshing with the other helical gear.

ST. CLAIR LE ROY JEROME.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,872,288 Helgeby Aug. 16, 1932FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 547,740 France Oct. 2. 1922

